Disposable waste bag pack

Abstract

A disposable waste bag pack is provided for use with a toilet which has a toilet seat and includes a first disposable bag which includes a zip-lock top first bag portion. A second disposable bag includes an expandable second bag top portion and a second bag bottom portion, and the second bag top portion is sized to fit over the toilet seat. Also, the second bag bottom portion is sized to fit into the first disposable bag which extends below the toilet seat.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority based upon my copending Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/185,165, filed Feb. 25, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates generally to portable toilet devices and, more particularly, to disposable bags for use with such devices.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Portable toilets are used in a number of contexts. For example, toddlers who are being toilet trained often use portable toilets known as potties. Similar portable toilets are often used on camping trips and in motor vehicles. Bedpans, that are used in hospitals and other convalescent care environments, are other forms of portable toilets.

[0006] Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to portable toilets, and the following U. S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,142,847, 3,619,822, 5,187,819, and 5,611,092. Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,142,847, 3,619,822, 5,187,819, and 5,611,092 discloses a portable toilet that has a flat planar floor that rests on a support surface. Each flat planar floor has a bottom surface area that extends the full length and width of the portable toilet. When such a portable toilet is lifted off of the support surface, the entire bottom surface may have to be cleaned if the support surface was dirty, such as in the outdoors. To avoid the need for cleaning an entire bottom surface of a portable toilet, it would be desirable if a portable toilet were provided with several legs that rest on the support surface. Several legs would be easier to clean than an entire bottom surface of a portable toilet.

[0007] More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,847 discloses a portable toilet that does not include a seat ring which is virtually always included in a fixed toilet. To improve comfort and provide a portable toilet that more closely simulates a fixed toilet, it would be desirable if a portable toilet were provided with a seat ring. In addition, once the temporary need for a portable toilet has passed, the portable toilet is often folded up or packed up and transported to another location. This patent does not disclose a handle that would facilitate carrying of the portable toilet. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable toilet were provided with a carry handle that facilitates transport of the portable toilet when it is not in use. Furthermore, with this patent, a disposable bag that is employed must be big enough to fit over the full outside length and width of the base portion. As a result, the disposable bag may be relatively large compared to the amount of wastes which it is intended to carry. As a result, significant quantities of bag materials may be under-utilized and wasted. In this respect, it would be desirable if a portable toilet were provided that permits the use of disposable bags that are considerably smaller than the full outside length and width of the base portion.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,822 discloses a portable toilet that employs disposable plastic bags that are, in essence, made in the portable toilet itself on a continuous basis. To make the bags, heat sealing apparatus is provided. For purposes of simplicity, it would be desirable if a portable toilet were provided that uses readily available, pre-made, disposable plastic bags.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,819 also discloses a portable toilet that has no seat ring, no seat legs, and employs big bags that fit over the full length and width of the base portion.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,092 discloses a portable toilet that employs a drawer-like base for a container that receives wastes. The container is carried by the drawer-like base is rigid and is not intended to be disposable, and, therefore, must be cleaned for further use and for storage. To avoid time and effort that must be spent to clean non-disposable waste receivers, it would be desirable for a portable toilet to use only disposable flexible bags for receiving wastes.

[0011] As a matter of interest, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,493 discloses a container for receiving pet wastes. It is noted that a disposable plastic bag is engaged by lugs on a lid which push through slots on a container. Portions of the disposable bag are pushed through the slots by the lugs and are susceptible to damage, such as tearing, as a result. In this respect, it would be desirable if a disposable bag were retained in a portable toilet in such a way that the disposable bag is not subjected to significant tearing forces.

[0012] Our prior pending application Ser. No. 09/468,594, filed Dec. 12, 1999, entitled: Portable Potty Apparatus, discloses a portable toilet comprising a base unit having a hinged seat unit attached thereto and a folding leg assembly. A bag holder is disposed between the base unit and the seat unit and is adapted to receive and hold a disposable bag for collecting human waste.

[0013] In respect to the above prior art, it would be desirable if a convenient package were provided to a user of portable toilets containing among other articles a disposable bag for collecting human waste wherein the package also is adapted to serve as a disposable container for the disposable waste collecting bag after the latter is used in conjunction with a portable toilet to collect human waste and then is placed inside the disposable container for ultimate disposition.

[0014] Still other features would be desirable in a package containing a disposable waste bag for collecting human waste such as the provision of a packet of sanitary toilet paper and a pouch of sanitary cleaning compound of such size as to be included in the same package as the waste collection bag. Additionally, it would be extremely desirable if both the waste collection bag and the package containing same were made of relatively inexpensive rapidly bio-degradable plastic materials.

[0015] The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique disposable waste bag pack of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A disposable waste bag pack is provided for use with a toilet which has a toilet seat and includes a first disposable bag which includes a zip-lock top first bag portion. A second disposable bag includes an expandable second bag top portion and a second bag bottom portion, and the second bag top portion is sized to fit over the toilet seat. Also, the second bag bottom portion is sized to fit into the first disposable bag which extends below the toilet seat.

[0017] A third disposable bag includes a quantity of toilet paper and a hand wipe package. The third disposable bag and its contents are stored inside the first disposable bag prior to use of the first disposable bag for retaining waste products. A directions sheet is also provided.

[0018] The second disposable bag includes a pair of pleated side walls. A quantity of waste treating chemicals are contained inside the second disposable bag. The waste treating chemicals include a powdered gelling agent, a powdered odor neutralizer, and a powdered decay catalyst.

[0019] The combination of the second disposable bag along with the waste treating chemicals is marketed under the designation WAG(™) BAG or Waste Alleviation/Gelling Bag made by Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont. The toilet seat can be part of a Portable Environmental Toilet, know as PETT(™), also marketed by Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont.

[0020] The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

[0021] In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0022] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

[0023] It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

[0024] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which is of durable and reliable construction.

[0025] An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such portable potty apparatus available to the buying public.

[0026] Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which has first disposable bag and a second disposable bag adapted to collect humane waste wherein the second bag is packaged inside the first bag prior to use.

[0027] Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack which has first disposable bag and a second disposable bag adapted to collect humane waste wherein the second bag is packaged inside the first bag prior to use where both the first disposable bag and the second disposable bag are fabricated of biodegradable plastic material.

[0028] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack having a first disposable bag and a second disposable bag adapted to collect and retain humane waste therein wherein the second bag is packaged inside the first bag prior to use and wherein the first bag further includes a third disposable bag including a quantity of toilet paper and a hand wipe package.

[0029] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack having a first disposable bag and a second disposable bag adapted to collect and retain humane waste therein wherein the second bag is packaged inside the first bag prior to use and wherein the second bag includes interiorly thereof a quantity of waste treating chemicals comprising an admixture of a powdered humane-waste-gelling-agent, a powdered odor neutralizer, and a powdered decay catalyst.

[0030] Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable waste bag pack having a first disposable bag and a second disposable bag adapted to collect and retain humane waste therein wherein the second bag is packaged inside the first bag prior to use and wherein the first bag further includes a third disposable bag including a quantity of toilet paper and a hand wipe package, and wherein the first bag has a top portion defining an opening and a closure device for selectively opening and closing said opening to remove and insert articles therethrough.

[0031] These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The invention will be better understood and the above objects as well as objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the disposable waste bag pack of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of the disposable waste bag pack shown in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of the disposable waste bag pack of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a partially exploded, partially broken away, enlarged perspective view of portions of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 that are used directly on a Portable Environmental Toilet.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of portions of the disposable waste bag pack of the invention shown in FIG. 3 used with a PETT(™), which is a Portable Environmental Toilet made by Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the portions of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5 assembled onto the Portable Environmental Toilet shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0039] With reference to the drawings, a new and improved disposable waste bag pack embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.

[0040] Turning to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the disposable waste bag pack of the invention generally designated by reference numeral 10. In its preferred form, disposable waste bag pack 10 is provided for use with a toilet 11 which has a toilet seat 13 and includes a first disposable bag 12 which includes a zip-lock top first bag portion 14. A second disposable bag 16 includes an expandable second bag top portion 18 and a second bag bottom portion 20, and the second bag top portion 18 is sized to fit over the toilet seat 13. Also, the second bag bottom portion 20 is sized to fit into the first disposable bag 12 which extends below the toilet seat 13.

[0041] A third disposable bag 26 includes a quantity of toilet paper 28 and a hand wipe package 30. The third disposable bag 26 and its contents are stored inside the first disposable bag 12 prior to use of the first disposable bag 12 for retaining waste products. A directions sheet 32 is also provided.

[0042] The second disposable bag 16 includes a pair of pleated side walls 22. A quantity of waste treating chemicals 24 are contained inside the second disposable bag 16. The waste treating chemicals 24 include an admixture of the following compounds: a powdered gelling agent, a powdered odor neutralizer, and a powdered decay catalyst.

[0043] The combination of the second disposable bag 16 along with the waste treating chemicals 24 is known as a WAG(™) BAG or Waste Alleviation/Gelling Bag made by Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont. The toilet seat 13 is part of a Portable Environmental Toilet, know as PETT(™), also made by Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont.

[0044] In carrying out the present invention, the decay catalyst admixture component can be corn starch. Also it is within the contemplation of the invention to have the bag 12, the bag 16, and the bag 26 all made of a rapidly biodegradable plastic material. Such bags are referred to as compostable bags. A suitable such bag material is available commercially from INDACO Manufacturing Limited (recycled polyethylene) under the Trademark BIO-SOLO, or its distributor the Spokane Packaging Division of Seattle Packaging, Spokane, Wash.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, exemplary use of the disposable waste bag pack 10 of the invention is described below preferably in connection with the PETT(™) Portable Environmental Toilet which latter is fully disclosed in our aforementioned prior co-pending application, Ser. No. 09/468,594, filed Dec. 12, 1999, entitled: Portable Potty Apparatus, the specification of which hereby is incorporated herein by this reference.

[0046] First, to use the second bag top portion 18 over the toilet seat 13 of a PETT(™) Portable Environmental Toilet, the toilet seat 13 is first lifted. For purposes of simplicity, only a few portions of the Portable Environmental Toilet are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. More specifically, the toilet seat 13, the toilet seat base 17, the mesh bag holder 15, and a number of support legs 19 are shown. A second disposable bag 16, such as a WAG(™) BAG, Waste Alleviation/Gelling Bag, is opened and inserted into a first disposable bag 12 which has a zip-lock top first bag portion 14. When this is done, both the first disposable bag 12 and the second disposable bag 16 are placed in the mesh bag 15 of the Portable Environmental Toilet as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the second bag top portion 18 is spread over the top of the toilet seat 13 after it is lowered, such as shown in FIG. 6. The top of the second bag top portion 18 installed in this way keeps the toilet seat 13 sanitary when the Portable Environmental Toilet is used. If desired, the directions sheet 32 can be placed inside the second disposable bag 16. After these steps have been taken, the second disposable bag 16 and the first disposable bag 12 are ready for use.

[0047] After the Portable Environmental Toilet has been used, the second disposable bag 16 is folded into the first disposable bag 12, and the zip-lock top first bag portion 14 is sealed shut. Then, the sealed first disposable bag 12, with the waste and second disposable bag 16 contained therein, can be disposed of in a trash receptacle.

[0048] Alternatively, the first disposable bag 12 and the second disposable bag 16 can be used with the Portable Environmental Toilet such that the second bag top portion 18 is under the toilet seat 13. More specifically, in this alternative mode of use, both the first disposable bag 12 and the second disposable bag 16 10 are placed in the mesh bag 15. The bags are opened wide for full capacity. A portion of the second bag top portion 18 is folded into a groove under the toilet seat 13, and the toilet seat 13 is lowered. After the Portable Environmental Toilet has been used, the second disposable bag 16 is folded into the first disposable bag 12, and the zip-lock top first bag portion 14 is sealed shut. Then, as described for the first mode of use, the sealed first disposable bag 12, with the waste and second disposable bag 16 contained therein, can be disposed of in a trash receptacle.

[0049] It is noted that the full portable waste disposal system of Phillips Environmental Products, Inc., Bozeman, Mont. includes the PETT(™) Portable Environmental Toilet, and the WAG™ BAG Waste Alleviation/Gelling Bag.

[0050] The components of the disposable waste bag pack of the invention can be made from inexpensive and durable plastic and paper materials.

[0051] The foregoing detailed description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art and therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents falling within the broad scope of the subject matter described above may be resorted to in carrying out the present invention.

Claims

1. A disposable bag for collecting waste for use with a toilet unit having a seat unit thereon, said disposable bag comprising:

a first closed end portion, a second open end portion adapted for engagement with said seat unit, said first closed end portion defining a confinement space for a quantity of waste material gelling compound, and a quantity of decay catalyst.

2. The disposable bag of

claim 1 further including a quantity of odor neutralizer.

3. The disposable bag of

claim 1 wherein said gelling compound and said decay catalyst are in granular form.

4. The disposable bag of

claim 2 wherein said odor neutralizer is in granular form.

5. The disposable bag of

claim 1 further including a second disposable bag, said second disposable bag having a bottom closed portion and a top open portion, said top open portion including a closure member for selectively sealing and closing said opening, said disposable bag being contained interiorly of said second disposable bag through said opening.

6. The disposable bag of

claim 5 further including a third disposable bag, said third disposable bag including a quantity of toilet paper and a handy-wipe packet, said third disposable bag being contained interiorly of said second disposable bag through said opening.

7. The disposable bag of

claim 5 wherein said disposable bag and said second disposable bag is fabricated of bio-degradable plastic material, disposable bag including a quantity of toilet paper and a handy-wipe packet, said third disposable bag being contained interiorly of said second disposable bag through

8. The disposable bag of

claim 6 wherein said third disposable bag is fabricated of bio-degradable plastic material.

9. The disposable bag of

claim 5 wherein said closure member is a zip-lock member.